When I was a kid, my father had a donut nearly every morning for breakfast. The local bakery would deliver bread and donuts to the house every morning, alongside the milkman who brought milk, cream and butter. Ahh, those were the days – the olden days.
I was thinking about my family over the holidays. It’s what you do when you’re thousands of miles from family and old friends from your past. When I thought of my father I could see him with his morning cup of coffee and donut.
There was a method to eating a donut. You couldn’t just pick it up and bite into it. Oh no, you must first break it in half and then in half again and then it was proper to begin eating.
“Only pigs eat a donut without breaking it first,” he’d tell us kids. To this day, I don’t eat a donut without breaking it first. I have tried to eat one without breaking it and it just doesn’t feel right. Our childish programming stays with us for an entire lifetime.
The other day I decided to see if I could recreate my father’s favorite chocolate donuts and while these were really good, they were much lighter than the ones the Harris Baking Company made in Waterville, Maine. This recipe is good and I’d make it again but it’s not memory food for me.
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled for a few minutes
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Oil for frying
- 1½ cups icing (powdered) sugar
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix sour cream, sugar and eggs together using your mixer.
- Add melted butter and mix again.
- Sift together all the dry ingredients and mix into your wet ingredients until the dough forms. It should be a bit sticky.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat cooking oil to 360F (I've found anywhere between 350-375F will work)
- On a lightly floured surface (I use a large silicone mat) roll the dough about ½ inch thick.
- Cut with a donut cutter and fry for about a minute and a half, then flip and fry for another 30 seconds or so. Remove and place onto a rack or paper towels to drain.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Remove from the neat and dip the donuts into the glaze to coat and place on a wire rack over a baking sheet to cool. (these will drip just a bit)
My parents would drag me and my 3 sisters to concerts designed for children…and the only way they got us in the car was the promise of donuts afterward. I’d always get some filled variety that I’m sure would taste miserable to me today! Recently I’ve made baked donuts which don’t stand up to real, old fashioned fried ones. My kiddos would approve of your glazed chocolate gems 🙂
Not sure if my last comment stuck…but these donuts would be inhaled by my kiddos 🙂
Okay, so I wake up and come to your blog and see these donuts, now, I want some ASAP!! I’m going to try these this morning for the family. They looks so delicious!
I always miss my distant relatives the most over the holidays as well. Your dad eats a donut like me however our intentions are probably different. I break a donut up with the intention to only eat a portion of it. These look fabulous.
LOL I always know I’m going to eat the whole thing.
Who doesn’t like dounuts? Although I’ve always been partial to the filled ones, which of course one doesn’t break in half before eating. At least I don’t, but then I’m a pig! We almost never fry our own donuts, although we make baked ones a lot (they’re good, but as you’d expect, not as good as the fried). These look terrific. How your memories are happy!
Donuts … jelly filled and Boston Creams are my favourites, if I have a choice. But I’ll eat almost any kind barring the kind with sprinkles on top if I’m desperate for a hit. I never thought of breaking donuts in half though since the two that I prefer having a filling which would make a gooey mess if I did so. 🙂
The donut and holes in your picture reminded me of the Romanian style donuts called ‘papanasi’ which I made back in May. The first time I’d made donuts since my mom used to make the free-style version of donuts called ‘gogosi’.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/138875.html
Gogosi – I must look that up because I am sure I’ll love them!
What is it about doughnuts??? Even a bad doughnut is better than no doughnut…..if there is such a thing as a bad doughnut. Yours look perfect! On a sadder and very embarrassing note, I qualify as a pig.
I laughed out loud at this comment, Jackie!
I am from Canada so we definitely have a bit of an obsession with donuts. These look better than anything from Tim Horton’s any day!
We sure are programmed when we’re kids. It’s funny how certain things stick with us.
Your doughnuts look scrumptious! I’m like Jackie above, I qualify as a pig. 🙂
I didn’t realize it till I ready our post Maureen, but when I eat donuts, I split them in half too…funny how sometimes we are so oblivious to our habits.
I have been on a big time chocolate kick recently and these donuts look scrumptious!
Sorry you are so far away from your loved ones this holiday season – sending hugs your way dear lady!
I’m sorry Maureen, there’s no I could have the patience to break that in four before eating. It’d go straight in. Naughty but very very nice.
Great tale Maureen… those things from childhood do stick with us, don’t they! My mother made the most beautiful doughnuts. It was one of her specialties! Your recipe sounds yummy.
I have to admit, Chocolate donuts are one of my favorites. And I swear donuts are just not as good these days as they were back in the good ‘ol days. I think it’s a change in the oil they’re fried in. And heck, I’ve been eating donuts wrong all these years. I’m pretty sure I pick it up and take a bite. I’m one of those little piggies. 🙂 Happy New Year!
There is nothing quite like the fresh donut. I avoid making them because I tend to eat them all. Your recipe is excellent and I would like to try making it.
These donuts look great Maureen, I love the dark and intense color of it…next time eating donuts I will remember to break it out 😉
Happy New Year!
I remember the good ol’ days where things were delivered and life was better. We had the evening newspaper delivered and the milkman delivered milk, cream and juice. Friends had bread delivered and Swing soft drinks. (We weren’t allowed soft drinks!) I’ve never made donuts and I should. These look great, Maureen, and I hope one year you’ll be able to go back home for Christmas xx
I would love that. The last white Christmas was about 10 years ago at my sister’s house up on the Hudson River north of New York City. It was fantastic!
Nostalgia can be so bittersweet. What a sweet memory of your father. And what a delicious way to honor him this Christmas season.
Hehe I’ll have “Only pigs eat a donut without breaking it first” ringing in my ears when I bite into my next donut-hopefully after breaking it first 😉
G’day and thank you for making me smile and brightening my day, making me laugh Maureen,true!
Wait til you see what is coming your way about donuts for brekkie…has been in the pipeline but with no internet coverage, it has been sitting in a queue!
My dad could not stand that I ate chocolate donuts for brekkie too! lol lol
Hugs re the nostalgia! 🙂 Cheers! Joanne
My hubby is a donut lover and would go crazy for these! I’m sorry they didn’t capture the food memory for you though. Maybe next time. I’ve still got a couple recipes that I’m still honing to match one in my mind, though I’m not sure I’ll ever perfect them.
What a lovely story! It is a shame they didn’t hit the mark “food memory” wise but they look amazing 🙂 … Oh and I have to break a donut in half prior to eating, I wasn’t told to do that but to me it would seem piggish too 😉
I hope you had a very Happy Christmas.
Love to John and yourself.
Aww thanks. I don’t know, I think I could eat a whole donut if I’d had another father. The one I had was very special and wonderful so I’ll break my donuts.
I’ve never tried making donuts before, due to the large amount of hot oil required, but it looks like it might be worth the try. As for eating my donuts, I’m like Homer Simpson- down the hatch in one go and lots of ‘nom nom’ noises!
Mmmm.. Drool! What a lovely donut… I know everyone in my family would go nuts for these chocolate treats. 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful and happy New Year 2014!!
Donuts are the best…my family would be in heaven if I made these! They look wonderfully delicious!! Happy New Year, Maureen!
It is nice to see a recipe for fried donuts – I know the baked ones are probably better for you, but these just look amazing! And… wishing you all the very best in the New Year, Maureen!
I’ll live vicariously through you and this post Maureen. 😉 When are you going to make Maine blueberry doughnuts. Please give me a heads up…because I’ll be on the first flight out for some of those. LOL Happy New Year to you and John! 🙂
What time of year do you want to visit?? 🙂
These donuts look great, especially because I have been craving glazed donuts! They were a big favorite as a kid!
Well you succeeded at giving me a FOOD GASM! LMFAOOOO!
I’m pleased I could do my part. 🙂
These look incredible! Just stumbled across your blog and followed you on bloglovin! Great stuff!
Jocelyn! I’m so pleased to connect. I hope we can be great friends. I’m off to snoop at your place!
Oh how I wish I could eat a donut every morning! And you know, I break mine too, not in quarters though, like David, I don’t have that kind of patience!!
These are beautiful donuts and I’d probably stuff the whole thing in my mouth.
I love the old eating habits we all have from our parents, other people will look at us oddly as we carry out our rituals believing them to be perfectly normal. We all have them and its really nice when we suddenly realise we are doing them out of habit and have a secret smile to ourselves. These doughnuts look lovely and I am sure they were all the sweeter because of the memories they bought back to you. I hope you have a happy new year 😀
I’ve not had a lot of success with gluten free doughnuts, but these sure look tasty!
Hugs hugs hugs hugs. I miss my dad too. xo
I timidly raise my hand… to ask forgiveness. I also qualify as a pig
Would the fact that I was born in Brazil help me out? 😉
Sally, you wouldn’t have lasted long with my father then! LOL He was a delightful man with a terrific sense of humor but he was quirky. 🙂
Delicious! I would love to have a local bakery deliver donuts every morning for breakfast!
These donuts are so appetizing!
I bet your dad would love to sit down with a cup of coffee and a few of these pretty yummy donuts! I didn’t know about the breaking up the donut part, lol, but I’ll keep that in mind for next time:) I hope you have had the best Christmas, even with loved ones too far away, I’m sure you were in their thoughts too! xx
Absolutely fabulous. I’ve never made doughnuts at home but I am quite tempted to try!
I hope you do – I can only imagine how beautiful yours will be 🙂
One of my favorite things to get when I go back home to Florida is donuts. My mom and I or my sister and I will bring home box after box and I always get a chocolate donut. I love them and I cannot believe you shared this recipe with us! Fabulous! I have little luck so far with fried donuts (I guess I need more practice!) but these will be so worth trying! And a great way to see in the New Year!! xo
Happy Happy Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
ok now this is interesting. I need to tell that my boy next time when he attacks a donuts. I ll tell him that Maureen said that breaking it first is the right and only way. Thanks for sharing your donut recipe! btw what’s the difference btw donut and doughnut? I hope it’s just the way one writes it…. 😉
Oh yes, childish programming stays with us for an entire lifetime. My fondest memory is my father’s Christmas goose. Try as I may I could never duplicate the flavors.
Gotta love the idea of a donut every day. I’ll always have to break my donuts now.
I love your recipes, this would be perfect for New Year’s!
Dear Maureen, I know exactly what you mean. There are memories of how to eat certain foods and if you do not, well, it does not feel right. There is something off.
I loved having milk, cream, butter and so many goodies. There even was a soda truck!
I wish my kids could live those days even for a little while. It was pleasant and not so complicated.
Anyway, the dough nuts do look good and I wish I was not so far away to try one!
Wishing you a very, very Happy and Blessed New Year. Catherine xo
These look delicious!
Love the way your Dad ate his donut and it is very sweet that you do the same, it’s a little way to honor your father. Love it! and love this recipe as well. Happy New Year!
I remember tshose days where things were delivered. The two-flat had a “chute” next to the side door that had a door at either end. The milkman would load it from the outside and we would fetch it from inside. No need to go outside or even open the door to get the morning’s milk. I’ve never made fried donuts, Maureen. Yes, getting rid of the used oil is a hassle but the real reason is because I know I’d eat them all. Looking at your photos has only confirmed this belief. 🙂
I will never eat a donut again without breaking it in half! I think that line will stay with me 🙂 I didn’t grow up having many donuts but these glazed ones look delicious.
Maureen:
You are so lucky that I don’t live nearby…otherwise, I’d be knocking at your door. I am jealous and drooling! Wishing you a very happy 2014!
So funny, “only pigs eat a donut without breaking it first”, I love it! Your dad sounds like a character Maureen and your donuts look amazing. I’d have been breaking a lot of donuts in half (just to not look like a pig) if I’d been in your kitchen on donut day 🙂
While I’m admittedly not a doughnut lover, I love your story. We had a milkman and an egg man growing up, but never a doughnut man! How cool!
What a lovely memory. I will remember to break my donuts from now on! LOL.
Happy New Year, Maureen.
These donuts look so tasty, I love the glaze!
Awwww, I love food memories! Especially the ones from our families, they are treasured memories! Your doughnuts look AWESOME! My weakness is cake doughnuts, so I want to devour that rack full:-) Yum, Hugs, Terra
Ha ha, I always break apart donuts! 🙂 One of these donuts sounds good with a cold glass of milk.
Ohhh I want some! love those donuts
You had me at donut….and chocolate ;). Thanks for sharing the yummy recipe!
I have memories of my grandmother, who was from Stockton Springs, Me., making homemade chocolate donuts. They where the best and she left us before I got her recipe. I’ll have to give these a try in honor of my grandmother! Love your story!
i like the donuts so much, especially if they have chocolate on top, they look so yummmy and fluffy 😀
My grandfather was the Harris donut man. Went on his route as a small child Kennebec through Somerset Counties. Remember trading baked goods with the milk man for chocolate milk. My favorite were Harris cinnamon donuts.
Oh don’t get me started on Harris donuts. My dad would eat a Harris chocolate donut every single morning. White box with a window and the Harris label. I LOVED going to the bakery on Main Street in Waterville. Such wondrous things for a little girl. Thanks so much for coming by and bringing me back to Winslow!
I have memories of my grandmother, who was from Stockton Springs, Me., making homemade chocolate donuts. They where the best and she left us before I got her recipe. I’ll have to give these a try in honor of my grandmother! Love your story!
I have memories of my grandmother, who was from Stockton Springs, Me., making homemade chocolate donuts. They where the best and she left us before I got her recipe. I’ll have to give these a try in honor of my grandmother! Love your story!